Valve protecting cap for pressurized fluid containers



July 26, 1955 VALVE PROTECTING CAP FOR PRESSURIZED FLUID CONTAINERS L.E- JUENGLING Filed May 5, 1952 INVENTOR'. Leo/70rd E. due/79mg ATTORNEiVALVE PRGTECTTNG CAP FOR PRESSURIZED FLUID CONTAINERS Leonard E.Juengling, Kansas City, Kans., assignor to Souk (:hemical Company,Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application l'vlay 5, 1952,Serial No. 236,181

3 Claims. (Cl. 137-382) The invention relates to cap structure for usewith receptacles of the kind having a manually operable valve of thetype including a reciprocable plunger for releasing the pressurizedcontents of the container, the primary object being to provide a capthat is easily removed and replaced and, more particularly, one that isI fully capable of at all times protecting the valve during packaging,storage and shipment.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provide acap of resilient, somewhat pliable material, that includes afrusto-conical side wall, together with bosses disposed to frictionallyengage the neck portion of the container upon which the cap is mounted,and to deform one edge of the side wall so as to bring the same intodirect contact with the said neck at a number of points therearound.

Another important object hereof is to provide a cap having the aforesaidconfiguration in the side wall thereof, together with a flat top wallclosing one end of the side wall and having a plurality of dependingpins engagable with a part of the container to hold the top wall inspaced relationship to and above the valve plunger.

Other objects include the way in which the above mentioned bosses areshaped to present an arcuate face that engages the neck of the containerto facilitate removal and replacement, and the way in which leakingfiuid from the container is evacuated from the cap.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a fragmentary, side elevational view of a pressurized fluidcontainer having a valve protecting cap made pursuant to the presentinvention, mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line IIII ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the cap.

Fig. 4 is a crosssectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line VV of Fig. 1showing the cap removed from the container.

The cap forming the subject matter of the present invention is broadlydesignated by the numeral 10, and is particularly adapted for mountingupon a container 12 for a pressurized fluid such as insecticides. Thiscontainer is of the conventional, commercial type and is fully shown inU. S. Letters Patent No. D. 158,332. Container 12 has a neck 14 ofreduced cross-sectional area that includes an annular band portion 16above which is provided a dome-like, uppermost end 18 that mounts valvestructure to be protected by the cap hereof. Such valve structure is ofconventional character and includes a vertically reciprocable plunger 26which, when depressed downwardly against the action of a spring forminga part of the valve, permits escape of the pressurized fluid from anoutlet port 22 in the plunger 20. The importance, therefore, ofprotecting the plunger 2! so that the same is not accidentally depressedand the fluid therefore, permitted to escape, becomes readily apparent.

'nited States Patent 0 The dome portion 18 of the neck 14 has an annularbead 24 that is utilized as will hereinafter be made clear to cooperatewith the cap it) in the protection of the plunger 20.

Cap 10 is preferably formed entirely from a resilient, somewhat pliablematerial such as plastic. Any of the well-known synthetic resins may beused and the cap 10 chosen for illustration, is fully transparent. Itincludes a side wall 26 that is frusto-conical and normally disposedwith its base end upwardly, the latter in turn being closed by a flattop wall 28. The lowermost apex end of the frusto-conical side wall 26is open and has an inside diameter that is slightly greater than theoutside diameter of the band portion 16 of neck 14.

There is provided a plurality of elongated bosses 3i) on the innermostface of the side wall 26 at the lowermost marginal edge thereof andextending upwardly from the lowermost annular edge 32 of wall 26. Asillustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the innermost faces of the bosses39 are longitudinally arcuate and engage the annular band portion 16 ofneck 14 transversely thereof. A relatively tight, frictional fit isprovided so that when the cap 10 is forced in place over the band 16,the lowermost marginal edge of the side wall 26 will be deformed into asubstantially polygonal configuration as depicted by Fig. 4 of thedrawing. Such deformation of the side wall 26 adjacent its lowermostedge, causes the side wall 26 to engage the band 16' at a plurality ofpoints 34 between the embossments 30 throughout the circumference of theband 16. The fit has been found to be so tight around the band 16 thatit becomes necessary in order to adequately discharge any fluid leakagefrom around the plunger 20, to provide a plurality of openings 36 in theside wall 26. Openings 36 are adjacent the band 16 when the cap 1t) isin place upon the container 12 and therefore, a groove 38 is formed inthe innermost face of the side wall 26 extending upwardly from eachopening 36 respectively to channel the leakage from within the cap 26 tothe openings 36.

In packaging containers and caps of this type, as well as in storage ofthe same, it is advantageous to stack the units one on the other and byvirtue of the flexibility of top wall 28, its downward deflection isprevented by means of a plurality of pins 44' depending from the topwall 28 and engaging the bead 24 on the dome portion 18 of neck 14.Manifestly, the pins 40 are longer than the distance between theuppermost edge of the bead 24 and the upper end of plunger 20.Consequently, the top Wall 28 is always held in spaced-relationship tothe plunger 20 thereabove. The pins 49 not only hold the top wall 28from downward movement, but serve to cooperate with that portion of theneck 14 below band 16 in keeping the cap 10 from downward movement withrespect to the container 12.

It is now apparent that through the construction herein provided, it ispossible to produce an inexpensive, protecting means that issufficiently pliable as to assure a relatively tight frictional grip onthe band 16 and at the same time, adequately protect the plunger 20notwithstanding its flexible pliable nature. The cap 10 will not becomeaccidentally displaced from the container 12, will adequately support aplurality of additional containers thereabove; is attractive in its veryuniqueness; and by virtue of its frusto-conical shape with the base endthereof upwardly, it can be easily grasped and therefore, pulled fromand replaced upon the container 12.

Therefore, while it is manifest that various types of cap constructionshave heretofore been provided for sundry purposes, the cap 10 hereinillustrated and described has many advantages emanating from theimproved features thereof, and it is desired to be limited only by thespirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Structure of the kind described comprising a pressurized fluidcontainer having an annular neck portion and a valve normally closingthe normally uppermost end of the container above said neck portion; anda valve-protecting cap including a frusto-conical side wall, a top wallclosing the base end of said side wall, the opposite end of the sidewall being open and surrounding said neck portion, means on theinnermost face of the side wall adjacent said open end frictionallyengaging said neck portion, and a plurality of pins depending from theinnermost face of said top wall and engaging the container in spacedrelationship to the valve for limiting the extent of movement of the topwall toward the valve, said top wall being flat, presenting a supportwhen stacking a plurality of said structures.

2. Structure of the kind described comprising a pressurized fluidcontainer having an annular, band-like neck portion, a valve normallyclosing the normally uppermost end of the container and having a plungerextending upwardly therefrom above the neck portion, and a circular beadsurrounding the valve; and a valveprotecting cap of resilient materialincluding a frusto-conical side wall, a top wall closing the base end ofsaid side wall, the opposite end of the side wall being open andsurrounding said neck portion, means on the innermost face of the sidewall adjacent said open end frictionally engaging said neck portion, anda plurality of pins depending from the inermost face of the top wall andengaging said bead for limiting the extent of movement of the top walltoward the plunger, said top wall being flat, presenting a support whenstacking a plurality of said structures.

3. Structure of the kind described comprising a pressurized, fluidcontainer having a cylindrical, flat base, a neck having an annular bandportion of reduced diameter, and a manually manipulable valve normallyclosing the normally uppermost end of the container above said bandportion, said valve being openable by downward pressure thereon; and avalve protecting cap including an inverted, open ended, frusto-conical,side wall, a top wall closing the larger end of the side Wall, thesmaller, opposite end of the side wall being of substantially the sameinside diameter as the outside diameter of said band portion andsurrounding the same in telescoping relation therewith, and means on theinnermost face of the side wall adjacent said smaller end forfrictionally engaging said band portion when in such telescopedrelationship, said top wall being flat and of substantially the samediameter as the base of the container to present a support for anoverlying structure when stacking a plurality thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS214,410 Lockwood Apr. 15, 1879 1,659,648 Tormo Jan. 12, 1926 1,898,654Breslaucr Feb. 21, 1933 2,031,172 Maloney Feb. 18, 1936 2,086,188 PunteJuly 6, 1937 2,465,083 Gradisar Mar. 22, 1949 2,544,095 Kower Mar. 6,1951 2,612,293 Michel Sept. 30, 1952

